The Deaths of Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi

February 4th 2024

On Tuesday the 23rd of January not one but two political prisoners were killed in Iran by their own government. Their names were Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi.

Mohammad Ghobadlou belongs to the many Iranians who have been arrested for taking to the streets in the name of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. Ghobadlou had been accused of murdering a member of the police force, Farid Karampour Hassanvand, during one of the protests he had attended back in September 2022. After being detained by security forces he was given no access to appropriate legal counseling. Ghobadlou had been found guilty during his trial.  The key piece of evidence on which the verdict had been based upon was Ghobadlou’s forced confession. There had been no other pieces of evidence that had tied him to the death of Farid Karampour Hassanvand. In addition to  not receiving a proper lawyer Ghobadlou was also denied medical care for his bipolar disorder during the 16 months that he had been detained. As his political patron german MP Clara Bünger had advocated for a fair trial for Mohammed Ghobadlou. Unfortunately to no avail.  On the day of his death, Mohammad Ghobadlou had only been 24 years old. While Mohammad Ghobadlou was hanged in Ghezel-Hesar prison, Karaj, his father and mother stood outside the premises of the prison in the pouring rain protesting for their sons release.  

On the same day, in the same prison Farhad Salimi had also been executed by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Kurdish man born in Saqquez, the same hometown as Jina Amini, had been in prison for an entirety of 14 years. He had been accused and charged with being a member of a Salafi terrorist organization that was trying to topple the current government. As was the case with Mohammad Ghobadlou, Salimi’s case too was based upon a single key piece of evidence: A forced confession. He had been in a hunger strike since December 30th. A political act in protest of the execution of other political prisoners held in Ghezel-Hasar prison. Salimi’s close family had been permitted to visit him one last time the day before his execution. On the 23rd they were invited back to the premise of the prison in order to collect Salimi’s dead body. His wife and children have taken Farhad Salimi back to his hometown of Saqqez for the burial. 

Two men, one destiny. A father leaving behind a single mother and his young children and a young man who will never get the chance to become a father. Both of them were killed by hanging. Their heads were pushed through a noose that was tied to a crane. How lonely they must have felt in those early morning hours knowing that this is where their lives end.